Industry | railway |
---|---|
Fate | merged |
Predecessor | Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway |
Successor | Great Northern Railway (Ireland) |
Founded | 1862 |
Defunct | 1876 |
Headquarters | Dundalk, Ireland |
Area served
|
Co. Cavan, Fermanagh, Co. Londonderry, Co. Donegal, Co. Louth, Co. Monaghan, Co. Tyrone |
Coordinates: 54°20′49″N 7°38′24″W / 54.347°N 7.640°W
Irish North Western Railway (INW) was an Irish gauge (5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm)) railway company in Ireland.
The company was founded as the Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway (D&ER) and opened the first section of its line, from Dundalk Quay Street to Castleblayney, in 1849. In Dundalk the D&ER line crossed the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway main line, which was completed between Drogheda and its own separate Dundalk station in the same year.
The D&ER extended westwards, reaching Ballybay in 1854,Newbliss in 1855 and Lisbellaw in 1858. In 1859 the D&ER reached Enniskillen where it connected with the Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway (L&ER). The L&ER had been completed in 1854 but had been unprofitable, so in 1860 it leased its line in perpetuity to the D&ER. This gave the D&ER a direct route between Dundalk and Londonderry Foyle Road.